039: Are you trying to use tears to divert your actions?
Xiao Qi cradled a large bundle of roses in her arms, the vivid red petals dazzling, the air saturated with their fragrance. She inhaled deeply.
And then—
She sneezed several times in succession.
Handing the flowers to him abruptly, she said, “These are so pungent, I feel sick.”
Yi Chen: “...”
Only then did she realize that the man’s face had darkened.
And then, belatedly, she noticed the increasing attention of those around them.
All eyes were drawn to them.
Yi Chen ignored the spectators, shoved the flowers back at her, “Even if you want to vomit, keep holding them.”
“...”
His first time giving her flowers, and she refused them.
Back in university, she always complained he never gave her flowers.
He had thought, after graduation he’d marry her, and give her a sea of flowers at their wedding.
Now, as expected, the person before him sneezed again and again.
“I can’t take it anymore, this scent is suffocating. You’d better...”
He grabbed the flowers from her, tossed them into the trunk. “Get in the car.”
Could she say she didn’t want to eat now?
Even with the flowers gone, her nose still itched. She kept sneezing.
“Mr. Lin, about dinner...” She was caught off guard by another sneeze. “Forget it, I...” Another sneeze.
Yi Chen’s face was dark as ink.
“Then don’t eat. I’ll take you home.”
“Okay, okay.”
In the car, she sneezed all the way.
Xiao Qi felt her nose was so blocked it didn’t even feel like hers anymore.
Was she allergic to flowers?
He had never given her flowers before, so neither of them knew she was allergic.
Yi Chen pondered: allergic to flowers, so there’d be not a single bloom at their wedding. What kind of wedding would that be?
He hadn’t even won her heart yet, and he was already worrying about the ceremony.
The endless sneezing irked him, and suddenly he pulled over.
Xiao Qi lurched forward, and sensed a figure beside her; he righted her—
She sneezed again, spraying Mr. Lin’s face with droplets.
Yi Chen wiped his face.
He suspected she did it on purpose.
Suddenly, Xiao Qi burst into tears.
Her wailing could move heaven and earth, stir ghosts and gods.
Yi Chen’s face was full of black lines.
He was sprayed with droplets and she had the nerve to cry?
“Xi Yang, are you trying to shift attention from your behavior with tears?”
“...”
Xiao Qi cried even harder.
Luckily, the car’s soundproofing was good, otherwise people outside would surely think he was horribly bullying her.
Xiao Qi kept her hands pressed to her face. Yi Chen only heard her sobs, unable to see her tears.
So—
She cried herself hoarse, but the man beside her remained silent.
Shouldn’t he comfort her, then hurry and take her home so she could sleep?
Grumbling inwardly, she peeked out through her fingers, meeting his sharp gaze.
Oh heavens, scared her to death.
Never mind, just muddle through.
She threw herself forward, breathless, sobbing in his arms.
Yi Chen: “...”
Yi Chen truly surrendered to her antics.
“Xi Yang, you sprayed my face—why not drool or sniffle on my chest, so it’ll look like your tears?”
“...”
Indeed, after crying so long, not a single tear had appeared—quite fake.
Xiao Qi was too embarrassed to keep up the act.
But she still needed to save face.
She sat upright, pitiful yet determined, “I really felt uncomfortable from those flowers. When I’m uncomfortable, I want to cry, but my tears are too precious to come out. Nothing I can do!”
“...”
She was still insisting.
Yi Chen sighed, started the engine, and drove her home in silence.
He said nothing.
Xiao Qi glanced at him sideways.
He had invited her to dinner, but they never ate, and she’d apparently left him frustrated.
Maybe she should invite him out, and probe about her signal device.
“So, a new movie’s out tomorrow—how about I treat you?”
“Sure!”
He agreed without hesitation.
Xiao Qi pouted, “Drive safely then.”
“Mm! Good night!”
“Uh, good night!”
She opened the car door; Yi Chen called her, and she looked back, puzzled.
Yi Chen shook his head, “It’s nothing. Since you didn’t eat, have your aunt fix you something. Eat before sleeping.”
“Oh!”
It sounded like awkward small talk.
Sigh!
A perfectly good date ruined by a bouquet.
Yi Chen watched her enter, only driving off when her room lights came on.
Back home, he checked the new releases for tomorrow.
It was an action film.
He immediately scratched it off.
He paced with his phone, called Fang Li, “Book a private room for me at Restaurant A tomorrow. Remember, no flowers.”
Fang Li understood his meaning, and agreed right away.
But a candlelit dinner without flowers seemed a little less romantic.
Mr. Lin’s tone was icy, “Do more, ask less.”
“...”
After hanging up, he thought of taking Anna to Aunt Fang’s for a meal.
Xiao Qi had placed two roses on the dining table.
Was her sneezing fake?
Maybe it was just because there were fewer flowers.
Two should be fine.
So he called Fang Li again, told him to set two roses on the table.
On the other end, Fang Li thought his boss was acting strange.
But for a man in love, odd behavior was expected.
He’d been the same way.
The next morning, Yi Chen called Xiao Qi, said she didn’t need to deliver lunch; she could rest for a day.
He’d pick her up that evening.
Xiao Qi had invited him to a movie, so she agreed, but refused to let him pick her up. She would go to the cinema herself.
Yi Chen’s voice on the other end was a little irritated, “I said I’ll pick you up. Stop fussing.”
“...”
At lunch, Anna sought Yi Chen to discuss the progress of the art exhibition. She happened to see Fang Li and Yi Chen by the elevator.
She approached, overhearing their conversation.
“Mr. Lin, the private room at Restaurant A is booked. The table will have red wine and red candles; dinner is foie gras.”
“Mm.”
“Yi Chen.”
Lin Yi Chen nodded in greeting.
Anna, hearing their conversation, wondered if the candlelit dinner was meant for her.
It was such a coincidence—he booked it just as she arrived.
So surely, he wanted to invite her.
With this in mind, Anna feigned casualness, “The exhibition schedule is finalized. After all these busy days, I can finally rest. Tonight I want to reward myself. Yi Chen, you’re free after work, aren’t you? Shall we...”
“I have plans tonight.”
“...”
Anna’s face fell.
The candlelit dinner wasn’t for her—so it must be...
Suddenly she thought of Xiao Qi.
Was the woman he liked really that delivery girl?
Fang Li quietly withdrew.
Yi Chen seemed not to notice Anna’s disappointment, only discussing the exhibition, “Anna, thank you for your hard work. When it wraps up smoothly, I’ll treat you to dinner.”
Anna composed herself, smiled, “Then I’ll await good news.”
...
Xiao Qi had felt the signal device when she returned home yesterday.
But after Yi Chen’s call this morning, she realized she sensed nothing from the device.
Immediately anxious, “Xiao Bai, I can’t feel the signal device at all now.”
Xiao Bai became alarmed, “Could they have taken it?”
“I’ll go check.”
“But you can’t get in,” Xiao Bai sighed. “Plus, your powers don’t work near there. It’d be pointless.”
“What should I do?” Xiao Qi got out of bed. “Maybe I’ll go near TC and see if I sense it.”
“That’s all we can do.”
She opened the door just as Yi Yang entered the shop.
“Yi Yang, what brings you here?”
Yi Yang glanced around, “Xi Yang, your aunt isn’t up?”
“She’s been up for ages—went shopping early,” Xiao Qi looked at her curiously, “Are you here for my aunt?”
“I barely know her,” Yi Yang pulled her towards the car, “Come on.”
“Where to?”
“You said your thing was in the research department?” Yi Yang pushed her in and continued, “If we can’t get in, we’ll try another way. Let’s go to TC first...”
“What can we do?” Xiao Qi bit her lip. “They say third time’s the charm, but if I try again, your brother will kill me. Besides, I can’t feel the energy from my thing anymore—maybe it’s not in the research department.”
Her thing had energy?
Yi Yang thought Xi Yang’s brain was off again.
But he still wanted to help.
He tapped his head, suddenly inspired, “Got it! If your thing isn’t in the research department, I’ll create a ‘Lost Item’ painting, draw what you’re looking for, and hang it at my exhibition. Then the whole world will know—it’ll definitely turn up.”
Draw it?
Her signal device looked just like an ordinary sapphire.
It should be fine to draw it.
“Okay, I’ll describe it for you—”
“Mm!”
#
Around noon, Fang Yun returned and called Xi Yang to fetch things inside.
No one answered.
She went in, the room was empty.
Where had the girl gone?
She called her, and suddenly a ringtone sounded. She turned to see:
A white phone lay quietly on the bedside table.
The girl had gone out without her phone?
Clearly forgotten it.
Xi Yang wasn’t here—had she gone to Lin Yi Chen’s?
Fang Yun thought it very likely, and happily went out.
Meanwhile, Yi Yang had drawn a bunch of things based on Xiao Qi’s description, but none looked right to her.
They all resembled colorful pebbles.
“Yi Yang, none of these look right,” Xiao Qi was anxious, scribbling furiously.
Yi Yang looked confused.
Xiao Qi grabbed his brush and drew herself.
“Like this, then like this, and then like that...”
She babbled and doodled.
Yi Yang watched, black lines on his face, but also found her endearing.
No wonder his brother liked Xi Yang so much.
She had clear, bright eyes, and a warmth like sunlight.
Radiant and cheerful.
Xi Yang, Xi Yang.
Truly, a name befitting her.
“What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and draw.”
Xiao Qi looked at her own sketch—it was even less accurate, and she was frustrated.
“If we don’t get it today, no dinner.”
Yi Yang: “...”
By two in the afternoon, nothing satisfied her.
Yi Yang could hear her stomach protesting.
“Enough,” Yi Yang ruffled her short hair. “People need food—skipping a meal is torture. Let’s go out, eat, and come back to draw. Maybe you’ll get it right then.”
She was hungry after all, and always a foodie.
She cheerfully followed Yi Yang out for a feast.
Yi Yang watched the lively Xiao Qi beside him, smiling.
She always seemed so carefree and joyful.
He glanced at the big tree opposite; summer seemed about to retreat under the wave of heat.